1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording implement to be used for a recording device which performs recording by use of an ink (recording liquid), for example, an ink jet recording device which performs recording by discharging small droplets of ink, and particularly to a recording implement improved in corrosion resistance to ink and also to an ink jet recording device equipped with the same.
2. Related Background Art
Heretofore, with a view to avoiding frequent ink supply operation and enabling efficient recording operations in such a recording device using an ink as mentioned above, it has been generally practiced to separate the recording device into the following sections: (1) an ink storing member such as an ink storing vessel having some extent of storing capacity; and (2) an ink feeding member such as an ink feeding tube, etc., for feeding the ink stored in the ink storing member to, for example, a recording means equipped with a discharging mechanism for discharging small droplets of ink etc.
The material constituting the recording implement equipped with such ink storing member, ink feeding member, etc., is required to have the characteristic of excellent corrosion resistance to ink (hereinafter referred to as ink resistance), particularly excellent ink resistance at the face that contacts the ink so that according to deterioration in ink resistance, impurities may not be released into an ink. Also, the characteristics in manufacturing such recording implement that are demanded are easy working, molding or assembling of the material. Further, in some cases, transparency may be also demanded to the extent that the presence of ink can be discriminated.
In the related art, for the recording implement of such a recording device, various resins, glasses, ceramics or metals have been generally utilized as the constituting material. Among them, polyethylene included in a polyolefin is transparent and also has good chemical resistance, and polypropylene has good chemical resistance as well as good impact strength. In addition, it is also good in flow characteristics. These properties enable easy molding of such a polymer with a small thickness or a complicated shape, giving further transparency. Accordingly, they have been frequently utilized for the above recording implement.
However, even in a recording implement formed by use of a polyolefin such as polyethylene or polypropylene having such excellent properties, for example, due to residence of ink for a long time, said recording implement may be damaged by dissolution of itself into an ink and aggregation of fibrous floating matter and the like generated thereby is formed. This causes clogging of the recording means or the ink feeding member, whereby there have been caused the problems that discharging of an ink from the recording means becomes unstable, that an ink may be intermitted and that recording inability is brought about due to an inability to discharge ink in an extreme case.